


No Casualty of War

by castledfranks



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2013-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-26 09:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/649216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castledfranks/pseuds/castledfranks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek and Peter are at war for the Alpha position, and because of his growing bond with Derek, Stiles almost becomes a casualty. Derek couldn't live with himself if Stiles died because of him, so he pushes him away. But he never thought Stiles would push back so hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Casualty of War

**Author's Note:**

> This is another short that I wrote that I might add to if there is enough interest. I've been doing some thinking about Derek and Peter's relationship and this is a direction I think I could definitely expand on. So yeah, comments always welcome; encouraged!

Derek sat alone in the dark, his elbows pressing so hard into his knees, he was sure they’d leave a temporary mark. He rested his head in his hands and told himself he was alone; it was okay to let it out, to cry maybe just a little.

He’s almost lost Stiles tonight, all because of this ridiculous fight for power. Did being the Alpha mean that much to him? Did it mean he was willing to keep Stiles in harm’s way? Absolutely not, but he knew Peter would never stop, which is why he had to keep fighting. The Alpha title was only the beginning, and if Peter won, he’d kill everyone.

It had never dawned on Derek that his feelings for this boy - these feelings he’d kept hidden for so long - could potentially cause Stiles’ death until tonight. The thought was not only unsettling, but it was wrecking Derek from the inside out. Being responsible for that would damn sure kill him. It was paralyzing.

A single tear ran down his cheek and he was quick to wipe it away. Tears were weakness, and even alone in the dark, Derek couldn’t show weakness. He wouldn’t. He prided himself on his strength, on being in control at all times. To win this war, he needed that outer shell to be steel; nothing could break him.

But he knew that was a lie. There was one thing that could unequivocally paralyze him, even end him. And that was Stiles’ death.

He heard the faint sound of footsteps on the porch, and he knew before the boy even entered the house who it was. He knew by scent, the scent of his mate, the one who was meant to roam the hills with Derek until his dying day. He smelled of young sweat, cheap body wash, and suppressed sex longing to break free. It was Derek’s favorite scent. He inhaled heavily, desperate to hold onto that scent one last time, unprepared for the conversation he knew was about to take place. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he knew what he had to do.

“Derek?” the voice came loud and clear to him, but in reality it was a hushed whisper. Derek could hear Stiles’ heart bounding against his chest; he was terrified that he’d walk into another ambush, that Peter would jump out and tear out his throat.

He entered the room where Derek sat, still quiet, never moving. The moonlight shone through a hole in the ceiling just enough for Stiles to make out the figure perched on the wooden crate. “Why are you sitting in the dark alone?”

Derek sighed, taking a little too long before looking up into those needy hazel eyes. He didn’t say anything, just inhaled and exhaled in an exacerbated motion.

Stiles frowned. “What’s wrong?” he questioned. His ability to read the Alpha never ceased to amaze him. He could actually feel his pain in the air.

“You’re still in pain,” Derek said finally, getting to his feet and joining Stiles in the full light of the moon. He reached out and touched his cheek, his thumb running gently over the barrage of bruises and the large gash that cut through his perfect skin.

Stiles turned away, subsequently nuzzling against Derek’s touch. “It’s not that bad,” he replied quietly. Derek knew he was lying; he could always tell when Stiles was lying, but Stiles didn’t care. He didn’t want Derek to blame himself, which he knew he was doing and had been doing since he pulled Stiles out of that warehouse and nearly killed Peter.

“I should’ve done it,” Derek began, letting his hand fall to Stiles’ shoulder for a quick moment. “I should’ve killed Peter.” 

“He’s your uncle Derek. He’s the only family you have left.”

Derek shook his head and roughly ran his hand over the stubble that now spread across his chin. “Not anymore,” he said, a growl low in his throat. “Not after tonight. Going after you…” His voice trailed off and he backed away, turning his back to Stiles and throwing his hand in the air, wagging his finger. “That was his last mistake.”

Stiles’ eyes widened as he noticed Derek’s claws emerge. He suddenly felt hot; the room was sweltering, and all the heat was rolling off of Derek. Stiles knew this reaction; he’d seen it once before - when Gerard beat Stiles to a pulp. That night, Derek vowed to protect Stiles with everything he had, and it suddenly dawned on him that Derek probably felt like a failure. “Derek, please don’t blame yourself for what Peter did. I’m all right, man, see? The pain is going away, I swear.”

Again, Derek shook his head, but this time, he locked eyes with Stiles and Stiles saw something that nearly brought him to his knees: tears. Tears in Derek Hale’s eyes. Why was he taking this so hard? He didn’t even like Stiles - or so Stiles thought.

Stiles knew if he pushed Derek for a reason, it might have an adverse affect, but he needed to know if the feelings he felt were reciprocated. Stiles would be lying if he said he didn’t feel something for Derek, something that startled him, made him question everything about himself. It was different than what he felt for Lydia; it was deeper, less about lust and more about the desire to be intimate. He began to question all the times he joked about being gay - maybe it wasn’t a joke.

He decided to press. What did he have to lose? When it came to Derek, Stiles didn’t have much dignity left. The Alpha had come to his rescue more times than he could count. He’d seen him in his worst moments, his most vulnerable moments. This wouldn’t be any different. “Derek, what is the big deal here? Why are you taking this so hard?” 

“Because I was supposed to protect you!” he shouted, the emotions he’d been keeping at bay dangerously close to bubbling over. “I promised that nobody would ever hurt you again and I failed to keep that promise.” He licked his lips and ran his hand over the full length of his face before putting it up for Stiles and turning away. “I can’t do this right now.”

Stiles shook his head and took a step towards him. “Well too bad; we’re doing it.” He paused for a moment before reaching out and touching Derek’s shoulder. The Alpha flinched and Stiles drew back. “It’s more than that Derek. I want to know why you felt obligated to make that promise in the first place.”

Derek eyed Stiles and knew what he was looking for; he knew what the boy wanted him to say so desperately. “You want me to say that I care about you?” 

“No,” he challenged. “That much I got. I want to know why you care about me.”

Derek rolled his eyes, a surge of anger and Stiles’ particular brand of annoying pulsing through his veins. He cocked his head to the side. “Now you’re just fishing.”

“Because I want you to say it, Derek! I want you to say what I know you feel for once in your god damn life!”

Derek narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Because maybe I feel it too!” Stiles sighed heavily and brought both hands to his face, groaning as he turned to the side. His hands rested on top of his head and his nails dug into his scalp. “You know, sometimes stubbornness is endearing, but on you? It’s downright aggravating!”

Derek raised an eyebrow, and Stiles could swear for a moment, he was amused. The Alpha finally let out a loud huff and slapped his thighs in defeat. “Fine, Stiles. You win.” Something animal descended upon his eyes and they momentarily flashed red. Stiles could feel Derek’s heat from a mile away, but this time, it wasn’t an angry heat. “Every primal instinct inside of me wants you, Stiles. You’re who I’m meant to mate with.” He stepped towards Stiles until they were only a foot away from each other. “I want you,” he stressed.

Stiles’ voice had dropped to a strangled whisper. Being this close to Derek had his blood boiling and his heart racing. But he was determined to stand his ground. “Then what’s the problem.”

Derek almost laughed out of sarcasm. “The problem?” he joked. “The problem is this can’t happen.”

Stiles shook his head, frustrated, and shrugged his shoulders. “Why not?” He stared desperately into the Alpha’s eyes. “Don’t say my age, because I swear I will scream.” He rested a hand against Derek’s chest and felt his heart racing in time with his. ”Why not?”

Derek allowed Stiles’ touch to take over for a minute. He could feel the heat and the tremble of his fingers through his t-shirt. He longed to strip himself bare, to feel those gentle fingers against his wild chest. But no, it couldn’t happen. He grabbed the boy’s hand and dropped it. “I can’t be with you.”

Stiles groaned again. “But why… give me a reason!”

“You almost died Stiles! Don’t you get it? Just being near me puts your life in danger!”

Stiles knew this had to do with Peter. It had to do with this war, this fight for the Alpha power. Derek was afraid because Peter knew: he knew Stiles was Derek’s mate. He probably could smell it all over him. And because of that, Peter would never leave Stiles alone. He’d use Stiles to get to Derek, and Derek probably felt like he couldn’t be there to protect Stiles every second of every day. “Derek, there are a lot of things in play here that you haven’t taken into account.”

“Like what?” he snapped, looking over to Stiles quickly before turning back to the empty half-burnt desk and placing his hands down to steady himself.

“Like the fact that you’re not in this fight alone. You have your pack - Isaac, Erica, Boyd, Jackson. Hell, even Scott is here fighting with you! And all of them can help you watch over me.”

Derek shook his head. “You’re still not getting it.”

“No, you’re not getting it!” Stiles pushed himself into Derek’s personal space, pinning the Alpha to the desk behind him and forcing his stare by placing his hands on his warm cheeks. “You can’t make this decision for me. I know what’s at stake here, and it doesn’t matter. None of it matters if I don’t get to be with you.”

Derek sighed and placed a hand loosely on Stiles’ hip. ” Stiles…”

Stiles moved a finger to Derek’s lip and his own cheeks flushed. This was the most contact he’d ever had with the wolf, and the mere feel of his skin against his fingers sent fissures of pleasure through Stiles’ body. “I’ve made my choice, Derek, and I will deal with whatever consequences come my way. And when I’m ready, I’m going to become your mate. That’s what it is.”


End file.
